Our rights, our wrongs
by StoryNeverTold
Summary: A series of Ste and Brendan one shots of any length. Inspired by a certain prompt. Rated M for some one-shots.
1. Hold

**Dedicated to Hollie for the prompt. **

**Words: 914**

**Rating: T.**

_**Hold **_

"_Nobody has to know, it can be our little secret…" _

_He smiles at me but it's not friendly, not at all. Not the comforting smile you get from a father figure. His eyes bore right into my heart and I can do little else but snivel, nodding as I try to stop the steady flow of tears that are fast finding tracks down my pale skin. He shakes his head and wipes the tears away before they can run off my cheeks. I feel his touch turn rough and he silences me, pushing me down beneath his strong body and it all floods back to me, the smell of sour whisky and cigarettes on his breath which tickles my neck as I squeeze my eyes shut and try to block out his ragged gasps above me, his fingers digging into my skin far too hard. Despite myself I open my eyes…_

…and I wake up. My body as slick with sweat and my stomach as filled with nausea as it was the first time I lived through it. I'm gasping, but not the way that he did, it's filled with fear and a pain that I cannot seem to rid myself of. I sit up in bed and pant, trying to hold in my whimpers until they subside and my eyes search the darkness for some indication of the time or the month or even where I am. I've had nightmares like this far too many times that sometimes I forget what I'm waking to. I can barely make out anything in the darkness and the tiny bit of the outdoors that I can see sneaking through the crack in the curtain shows me frost and drizzle, their dancing patterns highlighted in the fading orange beam that glows from the nearby streetlight. My eyes follow the faint tracks of light that have seeped through as they work through the bedroom, showing the colour of the carpet and the room I'm in becomes that little bit more clearer.

I sigh, relieved. I am not alone. I glance to my left to see the young man beside me, his brow furrowed in his sleep, his caramel coloured chest rising and falling so rhythmically. The very sight of him calms me. Steven Hay. He shifts in his sleep and I gently stroke his hair, soothing him in his slumber with caution not to wake him. He does not need to see me like this. I lower myself into the bed again, the environment feeling familiar again and settle slightly. But it's not enough. I can still feel my father's presence on me. I pull the covers around me and let out an elongated sigh, burying down into the sheets, hoping they will offer me some salvation from the descending feeling of dirt that settles on me. I turn my back to the man sleeping peacefully next to me and stare sightlessly at the blinking red digits on the clock, watching the minutes pass by. I know I am still breathing heavily and when the clock fails to entertain my brain enough, my thoughts track back to him and I let out a small whimper before concentrating on if I can count to 60 exactly in time for the clock to change minutes.

It takes exactly 4 minutes and 37 seconds before I feel it. Steven shifts behind me and I feel his arms around my waist, encircling me, pulling me closer so my back rests against his body and I feel his body heat enveloping me, his heart beating softly against my back. He kisses my shoulder blade and all the tenseness in my muscles, that I hadn't been aware of, releases. I exhale heavily as if I had been holding my breath since I awoke and relax into his touch, allowing him to hold me.

"I heard you making noises…" Steven whispers softly, dusting my neck and shoulders with soft kisses. "You had another nightmare, didn't you?"

"Yes." I reply meekly, knowing I must seem so stupid.

"It's okay…. I'm here." I can hear Steven smiles and it lets a small smile creep onto my face. He holds me tighter and buries his face into the crook of my neck, breathing softly. The feeling of Steven's breath on my neck seems to rid me of the memories of my father's. It's like he purifies me. I reply with just a hum and Steven takes a moment before he speaks again, afraid he will assume the wrong thing.

"He can't hurt you anymore. I promise, Brendan." He says it softly and then clears his throat as if he is instantly regretting it the moment it passes his lips. I do nothing but reach down to one of the hands that encircles my waist and I know that Steven worries that I will pull them away from me. I intertwine our fingers and hear Steven exhale behind me. I caress his hand with my thumb and give it a little squeeze.

"I love you." It's all I can say and in the darkness, with Steven pressed against my back, his body heat keeping the shadows at bay, nothing else matters.

"I love you too, Bren." I can hear the smile in his voice as he breathes gently against my skin.

It takes exactly 2 minutes 17 seconds for Steven to fall asleep and I am not far behind him. I do not have any more nightmares that night.


	2. Swim

**Dedicated to Sammy for the prompt.**

**Words: 1284**

**Rating: T. **

_**Swim.**_

When Brendan Brady had suggested taking his boyfriend, Steven Hay, on holiday earlier in the year, he had meant a romantic getaway back to Dublin or somewhere new like Paris or Venice. What he did not have in mind was Steven's children coming along, let alone Brendan's sister and her husband. Especially not with the baby on the way that served as an excuse for endless complaining from the younger Brady. But what he unequivocally w_ithout a doubt _did not have in mind was a cheap package holiday to a holiday complex in Benidorm. Brendan had higher standards than that. But, Brendan was a tolerant man… or at least he could be if his family were involved. However, 10 days into their holiday, Brendan was coming to the end of his tether.

So far, the package holiday had been so fulfilling for the other party members that they had hardly ever left the complex which left little to do except to relive the same things they had done every night. The food was good but left Brendan desiring something more… sophisticated but the entertainment was getting dreadful. Night after night, Brendan had been forced to sit as the kids watched the 'family entertainment' until they would fall asleep and then the uh, fun, as Cheryl had called it began. The endless bad comedians and poor tribute acts and drag queens that followed each other were almost endless and the drinks served at the bar tasted nothing more than vinegar to Brendan. It made Chez Chez's cocktail night seem like the Ritz. Usually, the party – Steven, Cheryl, Nate, Brendan and the two children (Leah and Lucas) – would then retreat upstairs at about 2am and by that time the children were so tired yet so hyperactive from the fact that _they were on holiday _that they could not sleep. Steven was overdosed on vinegar and Cheryl was forced to take to bed instantly, moaning about her feet and forcing Nate (who seemed to be enjoying this about as much as Brendan) to come with her.

Therefore, it was left to Brendan to put the kids to bed and try to make them stay there and then calm Steven down and stop him from vomiting on the carpet. They had repeated this routine too many times for Brendan's liking and privacy was hard to come by. Usually, at night time, Steven was far too wasted for Brendan to make any move and feel like it was mutual and when morning came, he had very little chance. They had woken up together one morning and got rather heated under the covers as Steven's hand massaged Brendan's very neglected dick but the cleaner had come down the corridor and by no fault of her own, woken a pair of very excitable children up in the conjoined room. Brendan had taken a cold shower while Steven had gone down with the others for breakfast and they had not attempted anything since then.

The daytimes were almost as mundane as the nights for Brendan, who found no pleasure in sitting around the pool on a sun lounger simply watching the world go by. Occasionally, he was joined by Cheryl in her bikini, her pregnant stomach becoming more prominent by the day, as she needed to rest for a while but she was soon back in the water. Nate served as company more often as he read his books by the pool or dozed. He seemed as bored as Brendan did. Steven was never out of the pool. He would be in there with the children for hours, playing and splashing. They would all laugh so much that Brendan was almost intrigued what the joke was. But the lack of excitement and sex and the overwhelming sense of boredom were taking their toll on Brendan. The sight of Steven, topless, wet and sun kissed, with only a pair of swimming trunks to guard Brendan from the view that he desperately wanted to see was causing him some unwanted warmth between his legs. He tried to shake it off and most of the time it worked, when he saw that Steven was harmlessly having fun with Leah and Lucas. But his probably obvious frustration was amusing Cheryl to no end.

It was day 10 and Brendan was sat by the pool again, bored. Cheryl and Nate had gone inside to the indoor bar, finding shelter from the harsh midday sun. Steven was, as per usual, in the pool with the children and Brendan watched them, mindlessly. After a while, he saw them climb out and the children run inside, hearing Steven's voice call out.

"Don't run, it's slippy, you'll fall! Go and sit with Auntie Cheryl!" Brendan smiled a little and then turned his attention to Steven who was walking towards him. He blocked the sunlight out with his wet body, his hands on his hips and looked down at Brendan.

"What?" Brendan asked with a smile.

"Nothin'." Steven grinned back. "You alright, Mr. Grumpy Pants?"

"Mr gr…." Brendan laughed in return and shook his head.

"You've been dead boring since we got here."

"If you're happy, I'm happy." Brendan shrugged.

"You're still boring though…" Steven laughed softly and then sucked the air in through his teeth. "I'll do something about that…"

"Hm? What's that, then…?" Brendan watched Steven cautiously and the events that followed were not clear in Brendan's head.

Steven outstretched his hand, invitingly, and Brendan had taken it. The pair had walked for a moment. But then…

_Splash._

Fuck.

Brendan surfaced and gasped for air, the shock hitting his lungs more than the water. He glared upwards and saw Steven stood at the side of the pool, laughing hard. The bastard had pushed him in. He was only wearing a pair of shorts himself as the heat was thick but it was not swimming clothes and they were weighing him down already. Thank God he had left his phone in the hotel room. He wiped water from his face and kept himself afloat, still glaring at a laughing Steven.

"I thought you could…" He laughed some more. "Do with a swim…"

"You little fucker…" And then he was moving like a shark towards the edge of the pool, ready to attack, eliciting yelps and screams from Steven. He hooked his arms around Steven's legs and pulled him into the water with him, the pair of them hitting the surface hard, splashing more water onto the sides. They both laughed, arms encircled around each other and Steven wrapped his legs around Brendan, laughing into his shoulder. Brendan grinned and the pair parted. He had lightened up considerably. He moved his hand swiftly, sending a small wave of water over Steven and soon the pair were splashing one another – behaving more childish than some of the children in the pool. Steven tried to escape but his attempts were futile and soon he was cornered in the pool.

"Fuck… no… Bren, that's not fair!" Steven yelped and giggled, trying to squirm away, duck under Brendan's arms. But Brendan did not send another channel of water towards his lover. Instead, he captured his lips with his own and the pair moaned, enjoying one another's kiss for a split second, neither daring to prolong it in such a busy environment. Steven bit his lip, grinning and pulled Brendan closer.

"If Cheryl has the kids…"

He didn't even need to finish his sentence. Brendan was out of the pool and dragging his boyfriend with him before he could. They both laughed, grabbing towels and went back to their hotel room without a word to Cheryl and Nate.

This…. this was the holiday Brendan had in mind.


End file.
